Pakistan’s Terror Network: From Kashmir to Kabul and the World

From harboring extremists to exporting jihad, Pakistan’s long-standing support for terrorism faces renewed scrutiny after the Pahalgam attack

New Delhi [India], April 30:
Pakistan’s long-documented involvement in sponsoring and exporting terrorism has come under intensified international focus in the aftermath of the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead. The deadly incident is the latest in a long line of cross-border terror operations that trace back to Pakistan’s military and intelligence establishment.

From Kashmir to Kabul, and as far afield as Moscow, Tehran, and London, Pakistan’s role in fueling militancy is part of a disturbing global pattern.

In 2018, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stunned the international community by implying Islamabad’s role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, orchestrated by the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Similarly, ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf admitted that militant groups were trained under his regime to force India into negotiations over Kashmir.

In a recent viral video, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitted to funding terrorist groups on behalf of the United States and its allies, further exposing Islamabad’s dual-faced global stance on terrorism.

Pakistan’s notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency continues to support groups like the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network, which have carried out major attacks, including the 2008 Indian Embassy bombing in Kabul and the 2011 US Embassy assault.

Even in Europe and Central Asia, Pakistan-linked operatives have left a trail of blood. Investigations into the Moscow concert hall attack in April 2024 have revealed possible logistical links to Pakistani terror networks.

In Iran, the Pakistan-based Sunni militant group Jaish ul-Adl has carried out repeated attacks. In response, Tehran launched drone and missile strikes in January 2024 against alleged militant hideouts in Balochistan, accusing Pakistan of harboring the group.

The 2005 London bombings, which killed 52 people, were linked to terrorist indoctrination and training in Pakistan. Several of the perpetrators, including Mohammad Sidique Khan, had travelled to Pakistan prior to the attacks.

In 2011, the US uncovered the biggest embarrassment for Pakistan’s counterterrorism claims — Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of 9/11, was found hiding in Abbottabad, a stone’s throw from Pakistan’s Military Academy. The incident raised serious questions about ISI complicity.

Beyond harboring fugitives, Pakistan’s soil remains home to active terror training camps operated by groups like LeT, JeM, Hizbul Mujahideen, and transnational outfits like ISIS-Khorasan. These camps span Punjab, Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, offering recruits military-style training and extremist indoctrination. Retired Pakistani Army officials are reportedly involved in the training process.

The US State Department’s 2019 Country Report on Terrorism stated that Pakistan “continued to serve as a safe haven for regionally focused terrorist groups.” Additionally, the European Foundation for South Asian Studies has repeatedly highlighted the nexus between Pakistan’s military, ISI, and radical clerics as part of what it describes as an “unholy alliance.”

As India steps up its diplomatic and strategic countermeasures after the Pahalgam massacre, Pakistan’s global terror footprint is once again in the spotlight — not just as a regional threat but a global security concern.